Holds our Monthly Feature and Monthly Feature data
By Sr. Charity Munonye
Located in Ebonyi State, southeast Nigeria, St. Patrick Hospital also known as Mile Four, was established in 1946 and managed by the MMM. It was founded to detect, treat and eradicate Hansen’s disease also known as Leprosy. The Hospital serves severely low-income people with high levels of illiteracy. The area has also seen an increase in insurgency and many IDPs (internally displaced people) live amongst the community due to camps being attacked. The combination of poverty, illiteracy, political unrest and the remoteness of the area make health a life-challenging issue for the local children and adults who struggle with a complete lack of resources.
There is a maternity unit in the hospital that was established in 1966 and today includes 70 maternity beds, 32 Paediatric beds and 20 nursery cots. It is a specialist referral centre for many child and mother issues. There are also outreach services and mobile clinics run from the hospital providing a wide range of preventative, palliative care, education, health, hygiene and gender/safeguarding issues. The people in the area face major challenges to health and the services provided seek to help the people learn how to improve their quality of life on several different fronts that they would otherwise not experience.
Due to preventative health programmes and health services, the area is seeing outstanding improvements in many aspects of well-being. Our good news includes a major decrease in infant mortality rates. Improved equipment purchased with the funding of Misean Cara (MC) and the increase in community health training programmes means that people can be treated locally and not sent off to far distances. There have been many challenges in the hospital that are being overcome in a positive way due to the increase in funding and training. All of this allows us to create an increased quality of life in the community for school children, expectant and new mothers through a wide variety of additional resources.
The Hospital recently underwent a review for funding that identified several major improvements on key markers for health in the community. This shows exciting progress. Now that we go to more schools, our networking with different school authorities is increasing and they appreciate our services. Our active collaboration with the Ministry of Health includes provision of vaccines, training, and monitoring of our services against set standards, retraining of our professional staff to cope with modern trends and data validation. Our staff training has empowered our employees to save more lives and to help more people in need.
By Sr. Dumka Michael, MMM
The Cardinal Onaiyekan Foundation for Peace, in collaboration with The Medical Missionaries of Mary PHC clinic and maternity, Aco Estate, New Lugbe Airport Road, Abuja held a 2-day workshop and training on peaceful coexistence themed “strengthening peaceful coexistence through enhancing the economic capacity of Sauka women”. The event took place in Zhigbodo Sauka Village of Kuje Area Council from the 16th to 17th of January 2023 and was convened by Sr. Dumka Michael, MMM.
The project target is to solve the issue of hunger being caused by the heightened incessant insecurity and this has in turn inhibited the crop harvested in the community. The fear of going to the farm due to insecurity has also increased food scarcity in the community. And as stated by the Village Chief, hunger is unbearable as it triggers quarrelling and fighting among members.
As women are the backbone of the family, they would love to be financially stable to support their families, hence the need for this project among the Zhigbodo Community. It will help seek out alternative ways and provide the skills required for a better understanding of the complexity of this problem.
The economic empowerment program was targeted to enhance the economic value and skills of the Sauka women to make their impact in the community formidable, while also educating them on the role they play as peace enablers.
The Project empowered 23 women (7 women with materials each to be able to make Ghana soap, liquid soap and izal; 3 women farmers for groundnut farming with 70 mudus of shelled groundnuts each; 1 woman with 20 mudus of soya-beans and other materials for making awara; 1 woman with 20 mudus of groundnuts and other materials for kuli-kuli (groundnut cake) making, 1 woman with a female goat, 9 women with materials each for the making of chin-chin and puff-puff and 1 woman with a sewing machine).
The project climaxed with the training of the women on how to use their empowerment materials to make various things such as puff-puff, chin-chin, izal, liquid soap, kuli-kuli, awara, and clothes etc for economic gain to solve their family needs. The women were also educated on the importance of home management, basic business skills and personal hygiene.
We learned that the community were fully aware of their importance and roles in society not minding their financial status, they were all excited about the visit and hoped for a positive outcome, and they were equally eager and ready to learn new skills or innovations.
The Medical Missionaries of Mary hope to maintain a continuous collaboration with the Zhigbodo people and encourage them in all their activities. They also seek to create more collaboration with other NGOs or institutions within and outside FCT-Abuja that have the same common interest for partnership.
By Sr. Maria José, MMM
The Anna Sironi Centre is a pastoral work of the parish where the MMM Sisters live in Salvador, Brazil. Many Sisters have collaborated or led their activities over the years and recently Sr.
Maria José , MMM, “listened in” to a conversation among three of the leaders of the Centre, Ana Castro, Maria Helena Ramos Belos and Ednalva de Jesus.
Ana Castro: What difference do you think our work here has made to the local women?
Ednalva: Definitely we have empowered these women in so many ways. I would begin with self-esteem. At home, many women do not have a voice. No one listens to them and yet they are the ones who carry the burden of raising the children – and get the blame if things turn out badly.
Helena: We have also helped in practical ways. As you say, often it falls to the woman to be the breadwinner of the family, but they have had little chance of education and no training or skills. When we teach dressmaking, cooking and literacy – all these allow the women to have a small income in their own right. It allows some women to escape situations of domestic violence.
Ednalva: What I love is seeing the women grow in self-confidence. When they come first, they are often very quiet and do not participate in group discussions, but as time goes on, they realize that many women are in similar situations as themselves and they begin to share more and explore opportunities for change. They begin to take a stand in our discussions and debates. They get involved in some activities in the parish and believe that they can change their life story through interaction with other women.
Ana Castro: Isn’t it great to see these women becoming our new leaders? I notice how they can lead the discussions now, and I really love the way they are learning to share the joys and sufferings as we pray together before we start the sessions. I strongly believe in the healing presence of Christ when they can share joy and pain with each other.
Helena: I have also noticed how their health has improved. I suppose self-esteem encourages women to look after their health needs.
Ana Castro: What motivates me to do this work started more than 10 years ago when I retired. I came to help MMM at the Project Consolação. There the women came to share their losses and grief of losing a son through violence. In fact, I was helped by this experience. I confess that I became a different person, inserted in the current reality, and became more passionate in this work with women. That’s why, even with the end of the Project, I still feel committed to these women.
Ednalva: For me, it is all about listening. I have learned with this work to develop my empathy and sensitivity to the suffering of each woman as they come to the center for the activities. I can offer my ear and presence for deep listening, and rely on my faith that God is always present. He does His work through me. I am trying to be a presence of love and compassion. Their stories mingle with my own.
Sr. Maria José: What have you learned from MMM over the years?
Ana Castro: I have learned to experience the Visitation like Mary and Elizabeth. This happens while I am visiting and know the joy of listening to people in their homes. I experience God’s presence with the families. I am filled with gratitude for MMM, for the opportunity to learn to listen, share knowledge, be more present with the people of God, especially the poor.
Helena: In my interaction with MMM I was able to discover my abilities, skills and capabilities through the various opportunities offered to participate in training courses and meetings for the improvement of health care and listening. My faith was also strengthened. I also became more pastorally active. Sister Úrsula Cott, a special friend, invited me to participate in HIV/Aids Pastoral ministry and I am part of this pastoral ministry up to today, as coordinator here in the Archdiocese of São Salvador da Bahia.
Ednalva: Maria José, I just want to tell you how grateful we are to MMM. You have done a lot for us women here in Nordeste de Amaralina, our little part of the periphery of the city of Salvador. The Sisters have given me strength and helped me develop. Thank you for everything. May God bless you and enlighten your lives in your missionary journeys. May Mother Mary be a strong presence in the mission of each one of you. May she bring encouragement and nourishment to your missionary dreams every day.
By Sr Mary O’Malley, MMM
We are convinced that since Nairobi is a Mecca for expatriates of surrounding countries and the whole of East and Central Africa, we experience the full ‘fall-out’ of the problem of Human Trafficking here.
An example is the case of a Ugandan nurse (‘Lucy’) hired here in Kenya to care for an elderly lady. She was raped by one of the sons of the family and became pregnant. Her husband was an army man and was killed in Iraq when her youngest child was six months old. This child was six when Lucy decided to take a job in Nairobi. But the rape brought her untold pain and we were at the receiving end of caring for her from 11th February – mid-July, 2022. She had three major complications of pregnancy and one of these entailed delivery by caesarean section. The others were high blood pressure and anemia which are also obstetric nightmares. She did not wish to arrive home to Uganda while pregnant and we respected her wishes. In mid-April, while all this was happening, she received news that her mother had died (a diabetic with high blood pressure). She was also caring for her other two children aged 6 and 8. Due to the obstetric complications she could not travel, but we linked her in to follow the funeral Mass and burial online. She had a friend take the children to a primary boarding school but that entailed an expense from our side.
Lucy had her caesarean section in the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) but one week later it was complicated by a huge abdominal abscess which necessitated a return to the operating theatre. Later the baby was admitted to hospital with neonatal pneumonia. Slowly Lucy gained strength and healing and her thoughts turned to home. The now ten-week-old baby girl had gained good weight and would soon join her siblings in the Southwest corner of Uganda. We thanked God for such a good outcome despite the many hurdles we faced together with Lucy.
From MMM Mukuru Health Program
It was the morning of 14th March 2023 at 10 am, at the time when the staff of Mukuru Health Program were engaged in the healing services, that a fire broke out in a place called Vietnam
in Mukuru slum. Vietnam is among the 8 villages that make Mukuru slums and it’s about 200m from our facility and adjacent to the nearby Parish church that is run by the Holy Ghost Fathers. It was the security man, of Mukuru Health Program, who alerted others that there was unusually thick smoke in the neighbourhood. A few staff ran to find out what was happening and then one of them came back with the news of fire that was gushing through the iron sheet houses. It was without a known cause and most of the residents had gone off for their usual casual labour.
It was a relief when the firefighter task force finally came in and managed to put the fire out after almost two hours. The task was made difficult due to the lack of a passable road to access the area of fire and the presence of gas cylinders that residents used in cooking, kept exploding, igniting more fire which was spreading very fast to other houses!
One of the women from the same place had come to the health centre that morning with severe abdominal pain. She was given some medication to relieve the pain as samples were taken to the laboratory. The triage nurse put her into the observation room to rest while waiting for results from the laboratory tests. She was later seen by the clinician with the laboratory results and put on medication to go home with. Upon getting the medication, she went home, to find her house with all her belongings already burnt! She came back to the facility confused, almost fainting and the words on her lips were “I have nothing left! “I have nothing left!” The staff rushed her to the emergency room to calm down. Thank God for the medical team that resuscitated her. Later the counsellor gave her psychological care. This was also extended to her husband and son, who came to the health facility. As if that was not enough, a group of youths came rushing with a fellow youth, holding his profusely bleeding hand. He had been trapped inside a room and he escaped by breaking the window, using his hand but it sliced his palm and fingers. He was attended to urgently, to arrest the bleeding, suturing and treatment were done for free! Fortunately, the Government ambulance was at the scene to take any other casualty to the nearby Government health facility.
It was sad to note that after the fire died down, people started looting and stealing the property that the affected people had rescued, while the police officers were looking on! This left us wondering, was it because they could not honestly identify the rightful owners! Nevertheless before we left duty, that evening, we visited the affected families and they were gathering all they could get from the rubble, children, women, youth and men alike. They were all in it together, it seemed nothing mattered whether religion, tribe or political affiliation, they were all united in what had come their way. There was a sense that they understood the value of being interconnected during this disaster.
Approximately, five hundred households were affected by the fire, leaving about 1100 people internally displaced (IDP) and hopeless. The majority of the IDPs were women and their children who lost everything including their important documents. These people need a place to stay, psychological support, provision of essential items like mattresses, blankets, dignity packs like sanitary towels, soap, tissue and toiletries in general. There is an urgent need for medical care to ensure that the clients that are on lifelong medication are offered a refill since their drugs were burnt down. We partnered with the Government facilities close by to ensure that the affected get the necessary care.
Currently in Kenya, the rains have started, thus the survivors are prone to infection like colds, therefore they need clothing support and warm sweaters to help protect them from more trouble.
In conclusion, disasters of fire and floods are very common in Mukuru slums, just like most informal settlements. Therefore the call to empower the already existing task force, that is, selected people in the community on immediate response to fire and flood, so that a quick intervention will be ensured to prevent more damage.
Sr. Prisca Ovat, MMM, working in Kenya, shares her passion of caring for our earth and how she is trying to make changes among the people she lives and works within Eldoret.
“In our desire to curb climate change and care for our earth, here in Eldoret, we empower our 27 community health volunteers with a health topic every month they gather to submit reports. This month we focused on air pollution, how each of us contributes in small or big ways to climate change, and what we can do differently.
As I move around the 11 communities in our catchment area which are predominantly slums, I observe that most families living in either a thatched or iron sheet hut cook inside while children are asleep. They inhale the smoke, and all of this has affects on their health. So together with the volunteers, we walk around these villages every day of the week, gathering families and educating them on the impact of air pollution. Each month we choose a different topic.”
(As we spoke, we made the connections with the EARTHSHOT Prize 2022). Growing up in Mukuru, one of Nairobi’s largest slums, for years Charlot Magayi sold charcoal for fuel. That charcoal was the cause of respiratory infections for her and her neighbours. Then, in 2012, her daughter was severely burnt by a charcoal-burning stove. Seeking a better solution, in 2017 she founded Mukuru Clean Stoves.
Rather than burning dangerous solid fuels, Mukuru Clean Stoves use processed biomass made from charcoal, wood and sugarcane. This burns cleaner, creating 90 percent less pollution than an open fire and 70 percent less than a traditional cookstove. They are cheaper too, costing just $10 and halving ongoing fuel costs.
Today, 200,000 people in Kenya use Mukuru Clean Stoves, saving $10 million in fuel costs and saving lives too. In rural areas, where young girls often spend three hours a day collecting firewood, they also save precious time. A female-founded business with mostly female staff and distribution agents, Mukuru Clean Stoves is empowering women to make a living by making a difference. Magayi plans to create an even cleaner stove that burns ethanol. In three years, she hopes to reach one million customers. In ten years, she plans to reach ten million people all over Africa.
CONNECT WITH MUKURU CLEAN STOVES
www.mukurustoves.org
www.linkedin.com/company/mukuru-clean-stoves
Sr Pauline Amulen, MMM, Lilongwe Community
It is astonishing how life can change from comfort to discomfort and misery in a blink of an eye. Cyclone Freddy has caused an unprecedented crisis in Malawi where the state of devastation is indescribable. The rains that started slowly in southern Malawi on 10th March 2023 intensified on 13th March 2023. It is being reported as one of the longest-lasting tropical cyclones with the strongest storm ever recorded. These rains resulted in tremendous flooding, mudslides, broken bridges and damage to roads. It is heartbreaking to see many lives lost, dozens injured and thousands displaced and now living pitifully in camps with some waiting day and night for any news about their missing relatives and friends.
The worst hit place is Blantyre which is the second largest city in Malawi of roughly 800,000 people followed by 12 other districts. It was a very dull Tuesday morning. We were leaving to go for Mass at 6:00am and we met our security guard, he was very upset and hardly a word could be heard from his lips. Then after some minutes of patiently waiting for him, he said, “My father is dead and other family members are reported missing”. Shock caught us, and we stayed there trying to console him and praying with him. Our staying back with him helped him calm down and he got the courage to start off his journey to Blantyre. We thank God other family members were rescued from where the floods had carried them and are still alive. It is difficult to state the figures of the affected as many cases are discovered each single day.
The effects left by the cyclone are still hard felt by the whole of the nation as we are experiencing power blackouts and lack of running water and even piped water in most areas. Some villages remain unreachable because of cut-off roads leaving the lives of the people in the hands of God. The victims of the cyclone are traumatised as some of them report experiencing mental disturbance as the sound of the storm and the waves of water keep ringing in their ears. They say it will take a long time for them to have peaceful minds. Furthermore, the scarcity of water is raising concerns that cholera which some areas of Malawi including Blantyre were battling with might rise again. The schools which delayed opening due to cholera, are again at a standstill now as classrooms are used as shelter for the displaced people.
Even in the most difficult situations in life we find reasons to be thankful to God. A hand of applause really needs to be extended to the government of Malawi, different agencies, countries and individuals who are wholeheartedly and tirelessly working to rescue the lives of many people. The Catholic Church of Malawi is working hard too to see how best we can help in the situation. The Bishop has made an appeal to the small Christian communities to give any material support they can to assist.
As we keep holding Malawi deep in our hearts in prayer, let us strive to mitigate all the factors that are putting our environment in jeopardy. As reported by scientists, human activities are one of the causes leading to the rise of cyclones.
Let us remain ambassadors, educators, promoters, and advocates of better climatic change for a better Africa and the entire globe.
Kasina Health Centre is situated in Dedza district, one of the mountainous areas of Malawi, bordering Mozambique. It is 40kms north of the town of Dedza and an hour’s drive south
of Lilongwe, the capital city. There are 74 villages in our catchment area, with a population of 35, 863.
Early in 2021, the number of cases of suspected COVID-19 were on the increase. Up to that time we had no means of testing. Then the Government identified Kasina Health Centre as a government partner, and we were recognised as a testing and treatment centre. From here we refer cases to the Government treatment centre, through the District Health Officer.
We noticed that people were growing lax with hygiene protocols in fighting the virus. As there was a considerable amount of apathy, we realised the need for more education, both on hygiene and the need for vaccination. There was little knowledge about the seriousness of Covid-19 and the need for vaccination was not pressing. We began an awareness -raising/education campaign with community leaders and home-based carers. These, in turn, would bring the message to the people. We provided handwashing points and soap to the communities. Our Health Centre staff were updated about the virus and they were active in the education campaign.
We were able to reach the 74 villages in our catchment area. We met a lot of challenges as we moved from place to place. One village was especially challenging. There they had more than 50% of a particular religion who believe that:
- That if they take COVID Vaccination it will make them barren, and they will not be able to have a child of their own.
- Taking the vaccination will shorten their life i.e., they believe that they will die within two years after taking the vaccine.
- Their religious leaders were discouraging them from taking the vaccine.
- Some of them were spreading the rumour that Covid vaccination is benefitting the politicians.
The first time we visited this village, very few people gathered in the usual meeting spot. We talked to the group that gathered. Our next move was to go around the village with a microphone. We gave input on the importance of COVID 19 Vaccination. That day only 56 people summoned the courage to take the vaccine, while others were watching and laughing at them. The next visit we intensified the health talk around the village. We met with the religious leaders and talked to them about the importance of the vaccine. After realizing that nobody died after receiving the vaccine, more people started changing their minds. They were also afraid of the government rules saying that in future, they would not be able to access medical care in government institution without vaccination.
Gradually convinced of the importance of the vaccination as a lifesaving remedy, they only started coming out gradually and voluntarily. In the end we were able to vaccinate 214 people in this village.
It is now 48 years since Mother Mary Martin, our founder, died here in Drogheda. Up to now we have gathered the memories of the Sisters who knew her best. But this is our call out to you, the people of Drogheda, Dublin and beyond.
If anyone has memories of Mother Mary they would like to share with us, we are very open to receive them. You can write to us, or arrange to talk with one of the Sisters. Email: mmm@mmmworldwide.com Phone: +353 1 288 7180
Sr. Jacinta Ugonma Mahakwe MMM
We live in a world filled with lots of deprivations of basic human needs – food, water, clothing and shelter. These must be satisfied in order to address more complex needs like mental and physical health, relationships and employment. Growing up to adulthood in the neighbourhood of Nordeste de Amaralina in Salvador, Brazil, is more of a miracle. The neighbourhood had experienced violent deaths of a lot of young people related to drugs, domestic and police brutality over the years. Those who experience or witness violence may develop a variety of problems including anxiety, depression, insecurity, anger, poor social skills, pathological lying, manipulative behaviour, impulsiveness and lack of empathy.
The returns on investing in human relationships could avert a lot of damages and bring healing in an environment endemic with violence. A few years back, the Medical Missionaries of Mary Sisters and their staff at Project Consolation in Salvador, Brazil, carried out “Peace walk” in the neighbourhood. This was done in collaboration with some primary and secondary schools in the area in conjunction with the support of the police force. Over three hundred school children with their teachers, some parents/grandparents took to the streets in a peaceful march accompanied by music, calling everyone to embrace the healing beauty of peace and end violence. The young school students shared sweets, colourful flowers, and balloons with the onlookers as symbols of love to demonstrate their quest for peace, with glowing smiles. The walk lasted for one hour and there was a feeling of tranquillity that hovered in the air through the whole period and beyond. With trust and anticipation, mothers, fathers, young people trooped out one after the other in support of this invitation to foster a culture of peace in the neighbourhood. Peaceful coexistence is a healing beauty. What is more healing than the face of a young child saying “friends, our young life matters, we want peace, we want to live”.
With the appropriate technique and approach, almost every behaviour and issue can be resolved by dealing with the root causes. The Medical Missionaries of Mary continue to engage with young people and adults in activities focused on behavioural change and trauma management. These include Coexistence / Well-being Workshops and Integrative Body Therapy. Integrative Body Therapy is a helpful approach of treatment for a range of concerns such as somatization, depression, anxiety, relationship concerns, and the effects of past trauma. It looks at the relationship between the body and mind. For many people expressing what they feel through oral language is very difficult, almost impossible in some cases. Through a body language/expression a scream can be heard, seen, released, and welcomed.
“The body speaks”. This self-care activity awakens in the participants an understanding that caring for oneself prompts one to care for the other. When we expand our range of care, it becomes a collective benefit – a healthy and peaceful environment.
